DIGITAL DEFENCE RESOURCES
Are you or is someone you know experiencing digital harassment?
Our Digital Defence Resources suggest solutions for specific harassment problems, based on our academic research.
Let’s begin.
Select a section you want to read more about:
During 2023-2024, as part of the EU-funded “Pro-democracy platform advocacy” research project, our team interviewed 40 digital rights advocates and activists representing marginalised groups (female, LGBTQ+, ethno-religious minority, and rural activists) from Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia on how their communities have built resilience against digital harassment. Since then, with support by WITNESS, we have turned our research findings into tailored suggestions for the most common harassment problems.
Funded by the European Union.
Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Your Resources
Below are suggestions on how you might resolve your own problems as well as help someone else resolve their problems. Our suggestions will be updated as new resources emerge. You can download this resources as a PDF or use our Telegram Chatbot.
(Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License)
For yourself…
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a. If the information is publicized on social media or messaging platforms: Report the accounts that publicized your private information and the content they publicized to the platforms or ask your friends to do so while you take a break from online platforms (Guide: Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube, Telegram, Viber, Line)
b. Set your social media content to private (Guide: Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube)
c. Use multi-factor verification for your online accounts (Guide: Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Telegram, Viber, Line)
d. Consider using more secure communication apps: Signal, Proton Mail, Jitsi
e. Consider informing the authorities
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a. Report the threatening or harassing messages and the accounts that sent such messages to the platforms (Guide: Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube, Telegram, Viber, Line)
b. Block the threatening or harassing accounts (Guide: Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, Viber, Line)
c. Ask your friends to do the above actions on your behalf while you take a break from online platforms
d. For threatening messages: Consider relocating to a more secure location or installing CCTVs at your locations
e. Consider informing the authorities
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a. Report the accounts that mobilised attacks and their mobilising messages to the platforms (Guide: Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube, Telegram, Viber, Line)
b. Ask your friends to do the above actions on your behalf while you take a break from online platforms
c. Install CCTVs at your locations
d. Relocate to a more secure location
e. Consider informing the authorities
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For someone you know…
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a. If the information is publicized on social media or messaging platforms: Report the accounts that publicized your friend’s private information and the content they publicized to the platforms. Keep monitoring the accounts to see if they continue to publicize your friend’s private information. Take a break when you feel overwhelmed (Guide: Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube, Telegram, Viber, Line)
b. Ask your friend to take a break from online platforms
c. Ask your friend to set their social media content to private (Guide: Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube)
d. Ask your friend to use multi-factor verification for their online accounts (Guide: Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Telegram, Viber, Line)
e. Ask your friend to consider using more secure communication apps: Signal, Proton Mail, Jitsi
f. Consider informing the authorities
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a. Ask your friend to reclaim their hacked account (Guide: Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube, Telegram, Line)
b. Ask your friend to use multi-factor verification for their online accounts (Guide: Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Telegram, Viber, Line)
c. Ask your friend to consider using more secure communication apps: Signal, Proton Mail, Jitsi
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a. Report the threatening or harassing messages and the accounts that sent such messages to the platforms. Take a break when you feel overwhelmed (Guide: Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube, Telegram, Viber, Line)
b. Help your friend to block the threatening or harassing accounts (Guide: Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, Viber, Line)
c. Ask your friend to take a break from online platforms
d. For threatening messages: Consider helping your friend to relocate to a secure location or install CCTVs at their locations
e. Consider informing the authorities
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a. Report the accounts that mobilised attacks and their mobilising messages to the platforms. Keep monitoring the accounts to see if they continue to mobilise attacks against your friend. Take a break when you feel overwhelmed (Guide: Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube, Telegram, Viber, Line)
b. Ask your friend to take a break from online platforms
c. Help your friend to relocate to a more secure location or install CCTVs at their locations
d. Consider informing the authorities
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a. Report the false information and the accounts spreading such information to the platforms. Keep monitoring the accounts to see if they continue to spread false information about your friend. Take a break when you feel overwhelmed (Guide: Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube, Telegram, Viber, Line)
b. Ask your friend to take a break from online platforms
Other helpful resources are available at digisec.wiki
Download resource as PDF
Meet our team
Our dedicated team members of the “Pro-democracy platform advocacy” project.
Dr. Mai Van Tran
Van is an inter-disciplinary researcher of digital cultures in Southeast Asia. She is based at the Centre for Digitalisation, Democracy and Innovation of the Brussels School of Governance, Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Her research has focused on how social dynamics change with the emergence new social media platforms.
Dr. Tuwanont Phattharathanasut
Tuwanont is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Institute for Asian and African Studies, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. His research lies at the intersection of political sociology, youth, activism, and transnationalism, with a particular focus on transnational activist networks in East and Southeast Asia. In addition to his academic pursuits, he is engaged in dialogues with scholars and activists to explore the broader implications of his findings for current sociopolitical challenges.
Haymarn Soe Nyunt
Haymarn is a student unionist and researcher focusing on social movements, displacement, labor struggles, and education. He works as a researcher at the Hta Naung Institute and is a member of the Virtual Federal University (VFU). He holds the position of Head of the Education and Research Committee at the University of Yangon Students’ Union and acts as a representative for the University of Yangon - University Interim Council (UYUIC). His writings have been featured on platforms such as Tea Circle, Visual Rebellion, Equal Times, and IJBS, among others.
Lewis Young
Lewis is a researcher working on monitoring online and offline mis/disinformation and harmful content related to COVID-19, peace, and conflict issues that potentially impact the social landscape of Myanmar. Currently, he is employed at Intellectum Research Consortium, where he continues to engage in digital innovation and transformation research.
Nalinthip Ekapong
Nalinthip graduated with a Master’s Degree from the Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies, Waseda University, in Tokyo, Japan. Her research interests focus on politics and international relations within the Southeast Asian region.
Peosamnang Soth
Peosamnang is a LGBTIQ+ activist in Cambodia
Thanh Nguyen
Thanh Nguyen designed and developed this website. Learn more about her creative works at tnguyen.webflow.io